Considering a new board even though its probably a bad idea

[jarvissup]

...another thought on a big,stable, wave catching machine while remaining on budget is a Fanatic Fly 10'6"x31 180 liter. We bought one in 2009 as a beginner board, and it has been every novice's favorite board since. We've had many friends come into the sport, buy boards and prefer the old Fly. When I was a JP rep and had some of their "big" board for demo purposes, still everyone preferred the 10'6" Fanatic Fly. It's a good shape for what it is.

[Area 10]

Yes, the Fly is nice. I have had an absolute hoot on one of the early 11ft ones too (2015? 2016?) before they made their 11ft boards ridiculously wide. It was 11’0x32” maybe? It was a huge stable floaty beast but a lot of fun in smaller crappy conditions. Don’t go bigger than the 10-6 in the 2019 range, though.

[Noo Noo]

...another thought on a big,stable, wave catching machine while remaining on budget is a Fanatic Fly 10'6"x31 180 liter. We bought one in 2009 as a beginner board, and it has been every novice's favorite board since. We've had many friends come into the sport, buy boards and prefer the old Fly. When I was a JP rep and had some of their "big" board for demo purposes, still everyone preferred the 10'6" Fanatic Fly. It's a good shape for what it is.

Yes, the Fly is nice. I have had an absolute hoot on one of the early 11ft ones too (2015? 2016?) before they made their 11ft boards ridiculously wide. It was 11’0x32” maybe? It was a huge stable floaty beast but a lot of fun in smaller crappy conditions. Don’t go bigger than the 10-6 in the 2019 range, though.

Yes a good shout. Another to the possibles list. Don't know a huge amount about them but they could be an option for sure.

Another that could be the Loco Inca perhaps?

[JimK]

Guys

The Fanatic FLY is a good board lots of my customers still use it. The 11'6 is only 33" 256L Doubt you need that. 10'6 is the most popular size and a nice all around board that catches waves like a magnet! If you are looking at the 10'6 size and you are looking for real performance the STYLEMASTER 10'6 X 31"
Has almost all the stability of the fly and about 35% more performance turning and on the nose. And at least here in USA they cost the same as the FLY.

just another thought!

JimK
Extreme Windsurfing 

[Noo Noo]

Guys

The Fanatic FLY is a good board lots of my customers still use it. The 11'6 is only 33" 256L Doubt you need that. 10'6 is the most popular size and a nice all around board that catches waves like a magnet! If you are looking at the 10'6 size and you are looking for real performance the STYLEMASTER 10'6 X 31"
Has almost all the stability of the fly and about 35% more performance turning and on the nose. And at least here in USA they cost the same as the FLY.

just another thought!

JimK
Extreme Windsurfing 

Thanks Jim

I did have a quick look at at the Fly just now and did notice that they also make the Stylemaster in that longer length now. I caught my eye.

Decisions are not getting any easier!! 

But I really appreciate all the thoughts and comments. I do need to be pointed in the right direction from time to time.

[Noo Noo]

Hi All

Just thought an update would be worthwhile just to say where I'm at. Sadly I'm typing this as I'm working (again) on a Sunday afternoon. This remains an issue.

My current thinking is the Fusion stays for now and will get used for those days where conditions will suit it. I am however considering a larger boat that will cope with the poor slack conditions that prevail this part of the world, particularly in he Summer and also allow for development of my skills during the choppy wind blown days that I also encounter. Plus having a family board is no bad thing either right?

So boards that have a similar outline to the Fusion are out but also probably the short squarer shapes that also excel in the small slack surf. I'm no where near the level required for one of them. Maybe one day.

So thus far I'm basically producing lists of boards that seem to fit the bill and are available here in the UK. The list is not finalized by any means and I'm still open to suggestions.

So here's my list so far

Fanatic Fly 10' 6"
Fanatic Stylemaster 10' 6"
Jimmy Lewis  Hanelei 10'8"
Jimmy Lewis Black and Blue Machine  (it's on the list out of pure intrigue more than anything else) 10' 2"
Hypr Nalu Malolo or Hele.
Loco Inca 11'
Naish Nalu 10' 6"
JP Hybrid - 10'8" which seems to be something completely different again but might be moving too far away from the surfing side.

I'm scouring round for suggestions and info so anything anyone can add is always welcome. I'm still looking round at what Sunova, Starboard and even RRD have around and what will be suited.

[Area 10]

FWIW, IMO:

Scratch the Stylemaster. It’s a superb board (I have the 10ft one) but it’s a high performance, low volume longboard with thin rails, fairly flat rocker and spoon nose for noseriding, and these features don’t make it ideal for mucking about in windy choppy crap.

The 11ft or 11-4 Naish would probably be more fun for you than the 10-6 Nalu (I have one of those too).

The longer versions of the Hypr boards would be awesome for what you want, and you might just did you can surf them better than your Fusion in clean surf too.

Black and Blue Machine is a highly specialised board. Leave it to those who know exactly what they want.

The biggest size Hanalei would be OK. The others aren’t particularly stable in chop for their size.

JP Hybrid: avoid. The compromise in it’s surf ability due to nose weight is not worth the minimal gain in it’s paddling ability. You’d be better off with one of their longboards if you have to have something from the JP range.

I’m quite sure that the Sunova rep (Supthecreek) will be along any minute to sell you one of theirs, so I don’t need to say anything about that. Just DON’T go short  and wide, and DO get something different from your Fusion. Personally, I’d probably get a Point Break. But you might not feel confident enough yet to surf a 12ft board. But one day you’ll realise that these longish gun-type boards are the most versatile you can get. I have both the Hypr Nalu Hawaii 12-6 and 11-6 guns, and they are truly awesome.

There are also the usual boards from Starboard, like the Drive, but I have a tough time recommending Starboards because my experiences with their race board construction quality have been an expensive lesson in frustration. Brands like Gong make Starboard seem like a total rip-off IMO.

You’d probably also find that the SIC Saber would do what you want it to do.

Hope this helps.

[Noo Noo]

Cheers again Area10

I'm also reluctant  to go with Starboard to be honest. I have a friend that swears by them but I had one of their models delaminate on me and I had and awful time going through the warranty claim with them. To finish it all off I had to cut the board in half and what I saw didn't fill me with much joy at all. I felt the level of construction was pretty poor, even though it was their bottom level of construction at the time there was naff all in it.

Agree on the JL B&B machine. I'm intrigued by it but not enough to go all out on one at this stage of my Sup surfing development.

The Stylemaster is tempting as of all the boards I've listed the Fly and Stylemaster are available at the best price but as you rightly say I am concerned that it might be a step too far at this stage.

[Area 10]

The Stylemaster has a slightly domed deck which can a bit annoying in chop. It needs it, to get the rails so thin, for performance, but there is a price to be paid.

Mine also chips if you so much as look at it. Aaaaargh!!!

[Noo Noo]

I have seen somewhere about the paint chipping thing with Fanatics. Cant say I noticed it with the Allwave I had, but it is obviously a thing.

I wish I could get somewhere to try both to be honest.

I looked at Gong but the biggest board they seem to do at the moment is the 10' NFA.

JP Longboard looks like a possible option. I need to look into it more. I'm not a huge fan of their AST construction though. Chips and stuff far too easily for my liking. Much like your Fanatics maybe?

Loco also have a good deal on an ex demo Inca  which is encouraging purely from that perspective. The size appears good at 11' x 30.5" and 160L but it's a bit slim pickings on the info side again.

[Area 10]

My JP longboard hasn’t chipped. So far. Despite being used by friends. But I did rail tape it from new.

I don’t know anything about the Loco. It’s a good price, and the dimensions seem about right. But how much does it weigh? Is the rocker maybe a bit flat for choppy conditions surfing? (However, flatter rocker boards do get into waves more easily.)

It’s a shame that Gong aren’t selling any of their 11ft NFAs right now. I have one, and it is an excellent board at a totally bargain price. Which is probably exactly why there aren’t any available any more... You could ask them when they next expect some in? At the price they sell them, and the excellent construction, it’s kinda a no-brainer: A SUP retailer of another brand recently said to me “I just don’t know how they do them so cheap”. And they are high-performance shapes, not beginner barges. Performance, excellent construction, and bargain price: it’s a kinda SUP owners’ dream, isn’t it? I have the 12-6 Gong Perv as well, and it’s amazing how well it surfs. It’s made many a crappy choppy windy session fun for me. It cost me 600 pounds GBP delivered! (I got one in the end of year sale.) Rock solid full wood sandwich construction with carbon-Kevlar rails. For 600, delivered... it’s surprisingly fast as a flat water tourer too, given that it is a surf-type shape. It actually surfs better than several 11ft surf SUPs I’ve tried. I’ve even thought about buying the 10-6 version in the new full PVC sandwich bombproof construction... it would probably surf really well and get into waves easily. But I’ve already bought 2 new SUPs this year already

[Noo Noo]

My JP longboard hasn’t chipped. So far. Despite being used by friends. But I did rail tape it from new.

I don’t know anything about the Loco. It’s a good price, and the dimensions seem about right. But how much does it weigh? Is the rocker maybe a bit flat for choppy conditions surfing? (However, flatter rocker boards do get into waves more easily.)

It’s a shame that Gong aren’t selling any of their 11ft NFAs right now. I have one, and it is an excellent board at a totally bargain price. Which is probably exactly why there aren’t any available any more... You could ask them when they next expect some in? At the price they sell them, and the excellent construction, it’s kinda a no-brainer: A SUP retailer of another brand recently said to me “I just don’t know how they do them so cheap”. And they are high-performance shapes, not beginner barges. Performance, excellent construction, and bargain price: it’s a kinda SUP owners’ dream, isn’t it? I have the 12-6 Gong Perv as well, and it’s amazing how well it surfs. It’s made many a crappy choppy windy session fun for me. It cost me 600 pounds GBP delivered! (I got one in the end of year sale.) Rock solid full wood sandwich construction with carbon-Kevlar rails. For 600, delivered... it’s surprisingly fast as a flat water tourer too, given that it is a surf-type shape. It actually surfs better than several 11ft surf SUPs I’ve tried. I’ve even thought about buying the 10-6 version in the new full PVC sandwich bombproof construction... it would probably surf really well and get into waves easily. But I’ve already bought 2 new SUPs this year already

My JP has a couple of scratches and that was taped from new. It's the untaped bits but I am a bit clumsy at times.

I'm not sure that Gong actually make anything longer than 10' now. There's absolutely nothing on their website about them. And that's the only reason why I've not looked at them any further.

RE the Loco, it's pretty flat I believe but does have a little kick front and back but pearling is a possible issue. That's based on the 2017 model though. They might have tweaked things since then as suggested in another review I've seen.

QUOTE
"The Inca has a low rocker nose that aids early entry into waves – it also helps the Inca track well. Worth keeping in mind, however, is to accurately locate the paddling sweet spot as too far forward will result in its nose burying. Same when taking off on steeper waves.

Glide is admirable. There’s a fair bit of tail kick – designed to lock into swell faces – which will require some unsticking. A few deep and powerful paddle strokes will see riders right. With a high stroke cadence SUPers can pick up waves early and the Inca accelerates progressively. A deep concave runs through the hull of the Inca, which helps when cross stepping, while a larger central fin and tail hold in the pocket well."

[supthecreek]

Area 10 said:
"I’m quite sure that the Sunova rep (Supthecreek) will be along any minute to sell you one of theirs, so I don’t need to say anything about that."

It pleases me to pay the Zone sponsorship fee, so that you have a platform to dispense your sage advice.



 

[Dusk Patrol]

Starboard does have resale value, so if a nice used one crossed your path ...
A10’s Naish 11’ suggestion is a good thought. It has a good surf reputation.

[Area 10]

Area 10 said:
"I’m quite sure that the Sunova rep (Supthecreek) will be along any minute to sell you one of theirs, so I don’t need to say anything about that."

It pleases me to pay the Zone sponsorship fee, so that you have a platform to dispense your sage advice.

I see, so it irks you that you have to pay money to post here but I don’t. Well that is because I do not earn a living selling boards. If people like me didn’t spend our own time, free of charge, posting to this forum then it would be nothing except one big infomercial and you would no longer have a platform for your own sage advice because no-one would bother visiting it. So you need people like me. And there are far fewer of us these days than there used to be.

It is also interesting that you have focussed on that aspect of what I said, and not this bit that followed it: “Personally, I’d probably get a Point Break. But you might not feel confident enough yet to surf a 12ft board. But one day you’ll realise that these longish gun-type boards are the most versatile you can get“.

So, let’s see if I have got this right: I recommend your latest board, which was developed out of a zoner custom order, and has received a huge amount of publicity here, and you decide instead to focus on a perceived slight instead? How very like your idol, Donald Trump, who happens to be over in the UK at the moment. Indeed, my wife can’t get to her work in a hospital because his entourage has taken over a large portion of the city she works in and closed a load of roads, ahead of his visit. And by incredible coincidence I’ve got the same problem today getting to my own workplace, 100 miles from my wife’s, because Trump is meeting the Queen at Buckingham Palace and I have to pass it to get to my workplace. All this hoopla is detracting from what is supposed to be a celebration of the brave soldiers who died fighting for the rights and democratic principles that the orange buffoon tramples all over.

So I suggest that we all work to make Sunova great again!